Tag Archives: Jake Heaps

The game as it would happen in my dreams. Because my dreams are BANGIN!

Quarter 1

After winning the coin flip and deferring, the Huskies kick off to start the game. As Erik Folk tees up the football, a buzz emerges from the opposite end of the stadium. A streaker darts across the field. Play is momentarily halted as security guards chase after the streaker, who manages to avoid them while running 100 yards untouched to the opposite goal post. He continues running down a tunnel and out of sight. The streaker is later identified as Harvey Unga. Play resumes.

Folk kicks it away and the ball sails five yards deep into the end zone. The BYU return man brings the ball out and is subsequently flattened on the one-yard line by a gang of Huskies who comment on the return man’s sister while they have him pinned to the turf. The return man staggers to his feet, content to repress his anger for the time being.

When you think of a talented high school quarterback, you probably picture an all-around athlete. The type of kid who plays multiple sports, is versatile, and pulls chicks like a Christmas sale at The Gap. And then there’s Jake Heaps.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching the Skyline High School quarterback play on three occasions this year. Twice against Bothell, once against Oaks Christian of California. He’s an incredibly gifted pass-thrower who is worthy of all the accolades he has received, without question. He tosses an accurate deep ball, makes good reads, and spreads the ball around to all his receivers.

That said, the kid defies our image of a high school quarterback. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never seen a less athletic-looking prep quarterback who was this good until Heaps came along. Which makes him an absolute anomaly in terms of his prowess on the gridiron.

Take away the allegiance I have towards the University of Washington, for a minute, and let me give you one reason why Jake Heaps choosing BYU over the likes of Washington, California, LSU, and Tennessee is a bad choice: His future.

The fact is, only one school on Heaps’ short list of final college choices runs an offensive system that doesn’t translate well to the pro game. Naturally, that school is BYU.

Unlike the four other schools on this list, which all utilize pro-style offensive sets, BYU operates in a system that looks a lot like the spread, a gimmicky offense that has rarely produced high-caliber quarterbacks at the next level. Interestingly enough, Heaps currently operates in a spread offense at Skyline (Sammamish, WA) High School, where he helped lead the Spartans to a 2008 Class 4A State Championship.

I can’t imagine that Heaps doesn’t want to play in the NFL. Ideally, that’s the dream of every collegiate football player, and a talent like Heaps is likely no exception. So why choose BYU, then?